This invention relates to a printing control apparatus and method and, more particularly, to EL printing control apparatus and method for performing double-sided printing by the intervention of an operator using a printing apparatus capable of single-sided printing.
When printing is performed on both sides of paper for a purpose such as paper conservation using a printing apparatus not equipped with a double-sided print unit for double-sided printing, the operator must decide the order in which pages are output from the apparatus. In order to decide the page output order, it is necessary to take into account the orientation in which paper is fed through the printing apparatus as well as the way in which paper is discharged from the printing apparatus.
In such manual double-sided printing according to the prior art, the user must change the order in which pages are output by a software application by considering the order in which the printing apparatus is attempting to output the pages. It is necessary, therefore, to try test printing in order that the user may ascertain the orientation in which paper is fed through the printing apparatus and the way in which paper is discharged from the apparatus. Then, based upon the obtained knowledge concerning the paper feeding orientation and the way paper is discharged, the user must give consideration to printing appearance and format and change the page output order so as to obtain the output intended.
To print on the reverse side of a sheet of paper discharged from a printing apparatus after the front of the paper has been printed on, the sheet of paper must be fed through the apparatus again. This requires that the paper be placed in the paper supply port or in a paper supply tray. The operator must know what the orientation of the paper should be at this time.
Thus, manual double-sided printing according to the prior art compels the operator to perform a complicated operation and results in the wasting of paper owing to test printing.